


Vodka, Where Dwell the Brave at Heart

by gamesformay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:30:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2673860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamesformay/pseuds/gamesformay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Oh God, getting drunk for Christmas Eve was a poor choice," Remus says. </p>
<p>[24 December, 1978]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vodka, Where Dwell the Brave at Heart

Moony doesn't have much face. No, he has a lot of face. But it's all lopsided mouth and long triangle nose and big eyes, not much...face. Sirius tells him this.

"Well, we can't all be King of the Jawline," Remus says.

Remus' face is weird, though. His chin is small. But pointy. Remus is pointy. Sirius tells him.

"Fascinating. As a matter of interest, why is your face on my face?" Remus asks.

"Shh. I'm looking."

"Your breath is vile."

"I smell like Christmas cheer."

"You smell like cheap vodka."

"Same thing. Oh Merlin, I looove this soooong. What record is this? I love this song." 

"How are you already this smashed? That's remarkable."

"Wheeeeere you goooooing, I don't miiiiind..." Sirius knows the words. "I've mmdmadmm woooorld and ladaadaaah tiiiime...." Kind of.

"Remarkable, really. I've only had time for one glassful."

"Glasses. Psssh." He grabs the bottle and takes a gulp. Like men do, and Gryffindor, and all that. "And I..." He goes back to staring at Remus' weird, pointy face, which is hard because it keeps moving. "...am not smashed."

"I disagree," Remus says mildly.

"Pffaaah! Could a drunk man do..." He leaps to his feet, which may have been less of a leap and more of a totter. "...THIS?" But then the ceiling is in the wrong place and someone is making his arms move and then he's on the floor. 

He considers. 

"Alright. May possibly be...a bit smashed."

"There we go." The pointy face is there again, looking anxious. Hey, there are some freckles. Holy fuck, freckles! Had he noticed those before? Freckles, man. There are some spots too. Whatever. They're nice spots. Sexy, sexy spots. 

Sirius feels long fingers pushing the hair from his forehead. "Oh God, getting drunk for Christmas Eve was a poor choice," Remus says. "Erm. Want to, er, go window shopping?"

A giggle bubbles up in Sirius' throat, and it feels funny and sputtery as it comes up, which makes him giggle more. "Noooo. Getting drunk for Christmas Eve was an excellent choice. C'mon, it's almost midnight. It's almost Christmas. You..." Stop moving, he tells the face above him. Stoooop. "...have to get smashed too."

"I suppose you do look a bit pathetic all plastered by yourself." Remus nervously eyes the bottle and, with a mutter of what might be "Bugger all," takes a swig. His whole face contorts, his eyes scrunch up and his tongue catches between his teeth with a sound like "bleeeuuuccchhhh". It's fucking hilarious, and Sirius chokes on air as he laughs.

Remus thuds gracelessly onto the floor next to Sirius. "I just wanted it to...Merlin. It's not our first Christmas together, of course, but this one's different because we're. Erm. Alone, I guess. Not at school. I wanted it to be...Bugger." He flops both hands over his face. "I wanted it to be nice."

Sirius rolls over to face him, and a growly sort of noise happens in his throat. Remus. Remus is so stupid. But-- yeah. He's so smart that he's stupid. And he's right there and he smells quite strongly of cheap liquor but he still smells like Remus and that's nice. "You're stupid. I love you."

"You always were the affectionate drunk, weren't you? At least you don't take after one messy-haired Chaser who shall remain nameless who weeps uncontrollably whilst intoxicated."

"But I meeeean it. You get weird when I say that. Yeah, you get weird. But it's okay cos I know you love me too cos I've heard you say it so ha I know you do, you sneaky werewolf."

"I'm 'sneaky' now?"

The long fingers are in his hair again. It feels really good. Merlin, Sirius loves this song. He feels like singing so he does. "Straaaangers on this rooooad, duhdaduuuh," He attempts to nod along, but then the walls move so he stops. "Weeeeee are not two, weeeee are one. That's us. Strangers on roads and stuff."

"We've known each other for eight years."

"It's a metaphor, Remus. God. And that's why you get weird when I say I love you cos you don't get metaphors and you have too much face."

"You're rambling. It's a bit endearing." 

"I loooove you Moony, and your whole stupid face and everything else that you've got, and I don't care if James thinks it's girly. Cos, cos he's the one shagging a girl and I'm shagging a man. I'm so manly, I shag men. Like a MAN."

"I'm not sure if that's how it works." Remus is laughing. Sirius feels a bit offended, but not too much because now he's thinking about shagging and Remus smells nice and mmm Remus.

"Your face is in my armpit."

"I'm being seductive."

"Ah."

"Admit it, you're seduuuced. Admit it, you love me and I'm endearing when I'm shitfaced and off my face and shit off my face and-- OWN UP, LUPIN."

Remus is definitely laughing at him. Yes, definitely. He's enough of a decent Englishman to pretend otherwise, but he's definitely laying there smelling nice with his fingers in Sirius' hair and laughing at him. "Alright, I own up. You win." 

Sirius grins and nudges against Remus' hand in his hair. He feels sorta like Padfoot right now. In a nice way, though. "You love me." He feels Remus run a thumb over his forehead. Mmmm. "You just don't say so cos you're dumb."

He's still laughing. Wanker. "Yes I do. Yes I am. Always right, my Padfoot." Then Remus stops laughing and sounds annoyingly mature as he says "It's not quite as easy for the rest of us. It's a certain kind of courage."

Sirius giggles. "Drunk-ness, you mean."

"No. Something else."

"Vodka, where dwell the brave at heart." Sirius finds himself incredibly amusing and starts laughing again, and then he feels like singing along, so he does. "In a promised liiiiiiie yaduhdaduh be-liiiiieve, for many meeeeen there is so much leeeeeaves." Close enough. 

Mid-note, he notices that he's just a bit sleepy. He burrows closer into Remus' shoulder.

Remus smiles at him fondly. Might be fondly. Probably. "Maybe you should close your eyes for a bit."

"Noooo, no sleep, nooooo. It's almost midnight. Waaaaait MOONY what time is it."

Remus checks his watch. "Oh. Look at that. 12:01."

Sirius feels a goofy grin slide up his face. "Happy Christmas, Moony," he mutters into Remus' neck.

"Happy Christmas, Pads."

The song ends. Remus smells really nice, so Sirius closes his eyes. Just for a second.

~~~

**Author's Note:**

> This story was transferred over from my old livejournal I had in high school; it was originally published at thatdreamerslie.livejournal.com in winter of 2012. Thanks for reading and commenting :)


End file.
